Thinking About Her
by SqueakyDolphin6
Summary: Isabel said to Amy in In Too Deep, "Ian, well, he's probably thinking about you." Was he? Probably. These are 2 or 3 random scenes from the series from Ian's POV.  Updated 6/22/12 - One False Note.
1. Bahamas, Storm Warning

_**A/N: This story was not written by me. I am being nice and posting it for SqueakyDolphin6. JanusGirl101**_

**A/N: Hi, SqueakyDolphin6 here. Thanks, JanusGirl101. I promise I will stop hijacking your account very soon! Sorry to those of you who are waiting for the last chapter of Its Called Enjoying Yourself. I'm having a little trouble with Chapter 4, and I'm going to go back and edit Chapter 1 before I continue. In the mean time I am posting this little story. I had this plot bunny bite me really hard and not let go, so I just had to write this. It is a scene in Storm Warning from Ian's POV. I will possibly add 2 or 3 other similar random scenes from the series. They will not be in any particular order, just whatever I get inspired to write. If there is a scene from Ian's POV you would like to see, let me know. I hope you enjoy it, and please review whether you do or not. Thanks! SqueakyDolphin6**

**Thinking About Her**

**Bahamas, Storm Warning**

Ian was watching the shore carefully through his binoculars. The Kabras had been out here for hours in their luxury yacht, doing surveillance on the Cahills. They were currently in the Bahamas, which was a welcome relief to Ian after his traumatic experience at the top of Mount Everest. He had almost died up there, had almost fallen thousands of feet to his death. Instead he had been miraculously, astonishingly, saved by Amy Cahill.

Ian couldn't stop thinking about it. The whole incident played over and over in his mind. He had been a second from plunging down the side of the mountain. Terrified, he knew he was going to die. And then, unexpectedly, Amy dropped the Janus serum and grabbed him instead.

Ian couldn't understand why she'd done it. He was glad she had, of course, but it perplexed him. Amy shouldn't have saved him, she had no reason to. He and Natalie and their mother had been nothing but horrible to the Cahills for weeks. He didn't deserve to be saved by her. And yet, despite that, Amy had sacrificed something priceless for him. That realization was causing Ian to feel emotions completely foreign to him, emotions like guilt, regret, gratitude, and also concern. Amy and Dan had survived so far, but would they continue to? His mother, instead of being grateful to Amy for saving her son's life, was more determined than ever to get rid of her and her brother. Mum was getting angrier and more ruthless the longer this clue hunt went on. What would she try next? When Ian thought about anything happening to Amy he got an unpleasant knot in his stomach.

Now Ian was observing the Cahills for his mother once again. He had watched them go into the Tomas cave, the same one he'd searched himself countless times. They had tied a rope around each other and around Nellie for safety. _Yes, good idea. It always pays to be careful._ He'd seen Nellie waiting, saw her turn and talk to…someone. It seemed to be a man dressed all in grey, but it was hard to tell, as the mysterious figure kept back behind a rock formation. Strange. Who was that? Some secret contact? Should he tell Mum? He wasn't sure.

Ian looked back at the water and noticed it was rising rapidly. Amy and Dan had been in there a very long time. Too long. The tide was coming in and would swamp them. Finally he saw some movement. Nellie was starting to look alarmed. _Its about time,_ he thought scornfully. _And she considers herself their protector._ Where were they? They should be out by now. _Come on, get out of there,_ Ian silently encouraged_._ Nellie was pulling frantically at the rope now. Something was wrong. Ian wanted to jump up and yell something. He wanted to swim over to that cave and pull Amy out himself. It took all his training to sit calmly and just watch. Nellie went into the cave. She was in there for minutes, taking way too long. The water was almost to the top of the cave entrance. Finally, he saw a head bob out of the cave. Who was it? Oh, Daniel. Where was Amy? Absorbed in the drama playing out, Ian didn't even realize he was standing now. And then, at last, two heads struggled out of the cave. Finally, she was out of there. Relieved, he let go of the breath he didn't know he'd been holding.

But something was still wrong. Nellie and Dan were dragging Amy out of the water. She wasn't moving. Was that blood all over her? _No! Amy!_ He felt sick to his stomach. His hands trembled slightly as they clenched the binoculars in a death-grip. Once again Ian had to force himself to sit down and watch calmly as they worked to revive her. When he saw Amy roll over and retch up sea water and then shakily sit up he breathed a silent sigh of relief. She was alive! _She's okay. Thank you, God!_

Ian continued watching as the Cahills gathered their things and began to slowly make their way back across the beach, Dan and Nellie supporting a wobbling Amy between them.

"They're leaving. Follow them," Ian instructed the yacht captain. Both Natalie and Isabel were hovering nearby, waiting for a report.

"Well, did they find something?" demanded his mother.

"I don't know. One of them has been hurt. I can't tell what's happening." Ian struggled to keep his voice dispassionate, but despite himself there was a slight, telltale wobble.

The Kabras followed the Cahills' progress as they went back to their tour boat and Nellie patched Amy up using the boat's first aid kit. Ian was finally able to relax when he saw Amy sit up and begin conversing with her brother.

That was when he saw Dan hold up the chain with the gold claw.

**The End**


	2. Say Cheese!

**A/N: Hi everyone! I am SO sorry I disappeared for a long time and didn't update this story. My life got really busy and I didn't have time to think about my stories, much less work on them. So now I'm back, and here is a new one-shot. This one is during Storm Warning, when Dan caught Ian in the net. Thanks to Evanescence456 for suggesting this scene. I hadn't actually planned on writing this one, but then it suddenly came to me. I hope you all like it. Please let me know what you think. ~ SqueakyDolphin6**

**Oh, thank you JanusGirl101. We will get the account thing worked out really soon, promise! Love ya!**

**BTW, did any of you do Mission 11? Did you see the "new" Ian? What did you think? I think, "Ewww!"**

**Disclaimer: I do not own 39 Clues.**

**Thinking of Her**

**Say Cheese!**

Ian was furious. He couldn't believe he'd let himself get into this situation, trapped by Daniel Cahill, no less. It was unacceptable! It was ludicrous. Disgraceful. Not to mention, uncomfortable. Someone was going to be sued, if he ever got out of here! The only good thing about this situation was that it had been Dan who had trapped him, not Amy. She, thankfully, hadn't been around to witness his utter humiliation.

Ian was currently dangling upside down, wrapped in nets, the top of his head about 30 feet above the ground. He had worked one arm out of the netting, thinking that would help, but his arm was now stuck hanging down at a slight angle from his head.

He had also managed to kick one leg through the net up to the knee. It, too, was now sticking out at an awkward angle from the bundle that was the rest of his body. His shoe had been flung off by all the kicking, but its lace had caught on the button on his back pants pocket and the shoe was now also dangling. If Ian turned his head as far as it would go, which was not far, and swung himself a bit, he could see his shoe hanging there.

When Dan had first thrown the net over him Ian had panicked and struggled with all he had to get out. That had only made the situation worse. The more he moved the more tangled he got. He was now thoroughly stuck, and had been for some time. After laughing in triumph Dan had run off, leaving him here. How long would he be stuck like this? Surely his mother or one of their Lucian operatives would notice he was missing and come find him sooner or later. He hoped it was sooner, he was beginning to feel dizzy from all the blood rushing to his head. He wondered if he would pass out before help came.

Finally, Ian thought he could hear feet approaching from the distance. As the sound got closer he could tell it was two people running towards him, conversing as they ran. He thought he heard one say,

"Oh come on, just one."

He couldn't make out the reply. Maybe they were coming to rescue him. He began to struggle again, and yelled out,

"Help! Over here! Help!"

To his horror, out from the trail below jogged Amy and Dan. They looked up at him, grinned and waved. Ian closed his eyes, embarrassment washing over him. No, Amy couldn't be seeing him like this, trapped by her brother and hanging upside-down like some crazy piñata at a child's birthday party. His mortification was now complete.

Dan cheerfully yelled up to him, "Don't worry, someone's coming to help you. We called emergency services to come get your mom, so they'll rescue you too. They should be here soon, so we gotta go. See ya!"

Ian jerked his head up to stare at them in astonishment. What had they done to his mum? She was practically invincible! And what about Natalie? But before he could respond the Cahills turned to go.

Just before they left the clearing, Amy turned back and yelled,

"Oh Ian, say cheese!" With that she snapped a picture with her phone, turned, and ran after Dan down the path.

**The End**


	3. Who's That Guy?

**A/N: Hi, SqueekyDolphin6 here. Thanks, JanusGirl101 for posting this for me. You are spectacular! Thanks also to you and SparklyHippo3000 for your suggestions and ideas. I really appreciate it.**

**So, this isn't a missing scene, it's more of a "scene from Ian's point of view" with a little "what if" thrown in. It is the scene in the airplane hanger at the end of Viper's Nest when the Kabras try to cut off the Cahills' heads with a spinning propeller blade. I know it's not in the book, but what if Kurt was one of the three students that came with Professor Bardsley to rescue Amy, Dan and Nellie? Well, it could be, if you read it right... Yeah, go ahead and flame me for Kurt, but I can't help liking him with Amy. He's so sweet to her, unlike some people who always try to hurt and kill her. Even if he is a Vesper. Her mom married a Vesper and changed him, so why not... Don't worry, I still love AmIan best. Enjoy, and please let me know what you think.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The 39 Clues or The Viper's Nest.**

**Thinking of Her**

**Who's That Guy?**

Ian Kabra's heart was beating just a tiny bit faster than normal. He had to work just a bit harder at his control to stifle the smile that tried to spread across his face. Any second now he would see Amy Cahill face to face for the first time in nearly a week, not counting surveillance photos, of course. The last time he'd seen her in person had been in Sydney, on that disastrous boat ride with his mother, when Amy had almost become shark food. Thinking of it now reminded Ian that this meeting could end up just as badly. That wiped any trace of a smile off his face.

Everything was set up exactly the way Isabel ordered. The hanger was deserted except for the three Kabras and their Lucian operative assistant, three empty chairs and an old propeller on a fan belt. The Fixer was in place. This time their intelligence was absolutely accurate. Everything should go according to plan. Any moment now the Cahills and their nanny would be "escorted" into the trap. Ian would get to see Amy again, and she would have another horrible deed to add to her list of reasons to hate him. If she lived.

Ian wasn't sure what to hope for. If all went "well," according to Mum's plan, the Cahills would spill their secrets, then would be incapacitated and thus removed from the hunt. If they weren't eager to talk, things could get messier very quickly. Knowing Amy and Dan, and how determined they were to defy Isabel, Ian expected the second scenario to play out. Either way, after this meeting they would be out of the Clue Hunt for good. He should be glad about that. If, indeed, Amy and Dan were the Kabras' main adversaries, as Mum claimed, then having them out of the hunt would ensure that the Kabras would win. Ian wanted that, of course, but he dreaded having to actually kill the Cahills. He wished they would just get discouraged and give up. Then Mum wouldn't be so furious and determined to kill them all the time. Actually, he wished she would forget about the Cahills and let Ian and Natalie alone to focus on finding their own clues once again. If Isabel wasn't around Ian would be in charge again, the way he liked to be. He would also be free to think about Amy whenever he wished, without fear of bodily harm if he was caught.

Yes, Amy. Despite the seriousness of the current situation, Ian had to once again fight the smile that threatened to give his thoughts away. No sense letting Mum see that he was actually anticipating this meeting, or she'd finish the threat she'd started in the Peoria airport. He had been daydreaming about Amy then and Mum had caught him. Of course he'd denied it. He didn't need Mum getting any angrier than she already was. The thought of her almost-threat caused him to shift in his chair nervously. For once he'd been thankful for Natalie's rude interruption that distracted Mum's attention away from his forbidden daydreams.

So now here they were, waiting for the delivery of their victims. Precisely on time Amy, Dan and Nellie were ushered into the hanger, twisting and screaming beneath the bags on their heads. So, they were not going to cooperate nicely. Too bad. It would have gone easier for them if they had.

Now Isabel was talking, taunting them. On cue, Ian added his obnoxious comment,

"A pity you had to strain yourselves, when we could have easily told you." If_ you cooperated with our terms, of course,_ he added in his head.

This earned him a look of disgust from Amy. He liked that fierce look of hers almost as much as he did her smile. She had so many different expressions. He started to catalog them in his mind: her glare of hatred, her squinting angry look, triumph when she kicked him really hard, delight when she'd figured out a difficult coded message, laughter when she and Dan shared a joke (usually at Ian's or Natalie's expense), shear terror when faced with a sea of hungry sharks, that look of gut-wrenching despair she'd had when he'd closed the cave door on her…

Ian's attention snapped back to the conversation when he heard his mother mention the sharks.

"I've been wondering about your health," Isabel lied smoothly. _I have too, really, even if Mum _is_ lying,_ Ian thought. _I hope you make it through this encounter okay, Amy._

"You didn't seem too concerned about it when you set that fire, you animal!" Amy yelled back at Isabel. Ian flinched slightly. _True enough, Mum did set that fire. No one has ever talked that way to her, though._

Vicious words were flying between the two females. Isabel accused Amy of murdering Irina, and Amy accused her back. _Murder? Um, it was an accident, wasn't it? Irina's own fault for attempting to save them from the fire. She managed to rescue them before she died, thankfully. Sh, don't tell Mum I thought that!_

Mum was speaking to him, asking him something. Guiltily, Ian looked over. _What did I miss?_

"Indeed," he muttered. It was his stock answer when he had to agree with her regardless.

"Is that all you can say?" she snapped at him.

Ian blushed. _Oops, _that was apparently **not** what she wanted him to say. He never knew how to please his mother any more. Usually agreeing with whatever she said worked, but lately she was dissatisfied with him no matter what he said.

Through Ian's thoughts he heard this mother still talking to them, offering them…what? To adopt them? They hadn't discussed this. What was Mum thinking? They couldn't adopt those peasants, could they? And have to live with them all the time? Impossible. To have Dan and Amy actually live in their house would be ridiculous. Well, maybe not Amy. Having her around might be somewhat exciting. But none of the Kabras would be able to abide Daniel, he knew. Mum must have something else in mind.

Ian glanced at Amy. She didn't look impressed by Isabel's offer. In fact, she was talking back, saying sweetly,

"You can shove it!." It was rather spectacular, actually. Ian had never seen anyone speak to Isabel the way shy, quiet Amy did. But it was dangerous. You could practically see the steam pouring out of Mum's ears. _No, don't upset her. Don't you know what she's like by now? Don't you realize what she'll do to you?_ He thought, willing Amy to hear his silent warning.

Isabel held out the test tube of glowing green substance to Ian. He swallowed. He knew what she was going to do now, and he didn't want to help. He didn't want to actually kill the Cahills. He was frozen with indecision. There was nothing he could do against Mum. She was single-mindedly ruthless. Maybe someone would come and rescue them, Hamilton, perhaps. The Holts were here in South Africa too. Much as Ian had hated seeing Hamilton swoop out of the sky to rescue Amy from his mother's sharks in Australia, he had been relieved that she had escaped.

Why couldn't he be brave enough to stand up to Isabel and come to Amy's rescue himself? He hated that he was so afraid of his own mother, hated her for making him feel that way, and for forcing him to be part of hurting Amy. No, he wouldn't do it, he decided. He couldn't hurt them, wouldn't kill Amy. He would disobey this time, stand firm, be the hero himself.

He felt himself rising anyway, despite his frantic thoughts, and woodenly walking to the machinery. He put the glowing green vial on the shelf next to the switch, then paused. What would happen if he refused to comply? Mum would finish the job herself, then turn her wrath on him. He would be punished for sure, but how bad could it be? He pictured the discipline he had had as a child and in Lucian training, the breaking of his will and retraining it to be always, instantly obedient: hunger for days, being locked in a dark closet, having every bit of his failures detailed to the entire company at holiday dinners, credit cards cut off, technology cut off, the Lucian torture chamber. Years of training and of intimidation, fear and self-preservation took over and forced him to do what his mother commanded. Ian flipped the switch.

He stood there, horrified, as Dan's chair was pushed toward the spinning blades. Dan was screaming. Amy, Nellie, and Natalie were too. Ian glanced at Amy again and saw her look over at him, her face a mask of fear, anger, loathing and…was that a touch of disappointment?

Then, suddenly the hanger was filled with other people. Someone **had** come to rescue the Cahills. Ian wanted to cheer as he watched them swarm in. Then Amy did the most incredible thing. She got to her feet, still tied to her chair, and ran, chair and all, straight into Isabel's stomach, knocking her over. If it had been any other circumstance Ian would have laughed out loud, but here, now, he just gaped.

Amy was now sitting on his mother, a triumphant look on her face. Ian couldn't help feeling proud for her, even though it was his mother she was sitting on. She didn't see him smile slightly at her in relief and then flick off the switch to the propeller.

Then Ian saw a tall, handsome, brown-haired boy bend over Amy and begin to gently untie her.

Amy yelled, "Kurt!" and smiled with such joy at him.

_Kurt? Who's that? And why is Amy looking at him that way?_ Actually, he looked somewhat familiar. Ian was puzzled for a moment, then he knew. It had been the Lucian surveillance photos from the riot at the Tomas stronghold. The boy had been in a photo, and he'd been **holding Amy's hand! **Ian glared fiercely at him even as another person began to tie Ian to the chair Amy had been sitting in. Ian was so busy watching what was going on with Amy that he hardly noticed.

The boy finally got Amy untied and helped her up, holding both her hands and smiling back. _Hey, that's unnecessary contact! He could have just held her elbow or something._ Now they were hugging, _Hugging? Who is this scruffy South African string bean? He'd better get away from Amy or else…_,

Amy said, "Oh Kurt, I'm so glad to see you! I never thought I'd see you again. How did you know to come get us?"

Kurt answered, "As soon as I got the call from Professor Bardsley that you were in trouble I rushed right over here with the others. I was so worried about you. I'm just glad you are alright."

_Blah, blah, blah_, Ian thought._ This is making me sick. Wait, what? NO! That git is NOT trying to kiss Amy!_ Ian glared ferociously from his chair prison, not able to move and unable to force himself to look away, watching Amy and "Kurt" leaning in to each other. This was unacceptable. Amy getting rescued by some guy was fine, but being kissed by him was definitely NOT!

Just then Dan grabbed Amy's hand and yelled, "Let's go!" so "Kurt" grabbed Amy's other hand and they ran out of the hanger together, along with Nellie and Dan. Amy didn't even glance back.

Isabel screamed, "This is an injustice!" just before she was knocked out by two large men. She fell to the floor, unconscious, next to Natalie, who was hunched over, her arms wrapped around her knees, looking like she was in extreme shock. The two Lucian thugs were lying, unmoving, in various positions on the floor. Ian slumped in his chair, stunned. He didn't even notice when Dan ran in, grabbed the cat and the glowing green vial and ran back out.

What had just happened? The Cahills had escaped again. Mum would be livid, but Ian was relieved. Amy was safe, for now. She had been glorious, standing up to Isabel that way, even knocking her over. No one else had ever had the courage to do what Amy did. He admired her for that. But then that boy, that **Kurt**, came and rescued her. _Amy has a…boyfriend?_ And he almost kissed her! Ian shook his head, but that horrible image seemed to be burned into his mind. Just thinking about it made him seethe with anger, but the anger quickly dissolved into dread. The Cahills had won again.

Isabel began to stir. Ian sighed. Time to face the unpleasant consequences. He braced himself.

"Mum, are you alright?"

**The End**

**A/N: Please reveiw, I'd love to know what you think. Thanks! ~SqueakyDolphin6**


	4. Desperation

**A/N: Wow, I haven't updated this story in a really long time! Sorry about that. This just came to me suddenly after someone reviewed and reminded me this story is still out there. I have a few more chapters started, and I'm going to try to finish them all this summer, so you can extect to see more angsty Ian soon. I hope you enjoy!**

**Desperation**

The Clue Hunt had undoubtedly landed Ian in a number of desperate, even terrifying situations, but perhaps only nearly dropping off the top of Mt. Everest had been a more precarious situation that the one he was in right now. Instead of searching for the last clue here at Shakespeare's tomb, he was currently dangling by his neck from the meaty fist of a very angry Hamilton Holt, his feet at least a foot above the ground, back smashed against the rough stone wall of Holy Trinity Church, oxygen almost gone. Hamilton's stinky cheese breath blasted Ian in the face as he interrogated him on the whereabouts of Ian's mother and the Cahill siblings. Ian couldn't breathe and the unforgiving stones scraped painfully against his back, reminding him of the mess at the Globe Theater last night, when his mother had climbed over his back in her sharp, spiked heels to get onto the stage and into the mob of fighting Cahills.

He and Natalie had no idea what the next clue was and they were running out of time. They'd recently come to understand just how evil their mother was, realizing that they had to find the last clue themselves before Isabel got her hands on it and took the serum. To do that, they knew they needed the other clue hunters, especially Amy and Dan, to help them. Isabel could return at any moment, so they had to hurry. Ian hoped to explain all this to Amy and get her to form an alliance with them. He hoped, but he didn't really think she would agree.

Things were different now than the first time they'd worked together, back in South Korea. The Clue Hunt had changed them all. Amy had been innocent, timid and much too trusting. Ian had been arrogant and cruel, and had played her right into his scheme. Then - that unplanned kiss that had turned his world upside down…He wished now that he hadn't betrayed her. Maybe things would have turned out differently. Since then there had been all the other betrayals, all the murder attempts. Yes, that's what they'd been, to be brutally honest with himself. _This is hopeless._ _Amy knows what Mum did to her parents now. She'll never agree to work with us. I wouldn't if it were me. If she didn't hate me before, I'm sure she does now. _

They were all desperate to find the last clue and get the serum, but Ian alone truly knew what would happen if he and Natalie failed. He thought of Irina, who Isabel had casually "gotten rid of", and shivered. The worst thing about this current situation, though, the thing that caused him to despair above anything else, was that Hamilton was right. Amy and Dan weren't here. Where were they? Could She have somehow managed to get ahold of them despite being in an airplane on the way to America? That would mean She knew what he and Natalie had done and would be out for their blood, too. No one betrayed Isabel Kabra and lived.

Morosely, Ian considered his situation. Amy and Dan weren't coming. The oversized Holt boy was going to choke him to death, which was probably better than what his mother would do to him otherwise. No-one would be able to stop Isabel from getting the last clue, making the serum and taking over the world.

Suddenly, there was a commotion at the door. There Amy was at last, frantically running in, breathless, clothes rumpled and dusty, hair a tangled mess flying behind her. Amy's cheeks were pink from running and her eyes, though worried, seemed to shine in the dim light of the church. What little breath Ian had left from Hamilton's assault left him in a rush of relief and a spark of excitement at seeing her. Dan and Nellie ran in too, in a similar state of frantic disorder, but Ian only noticed Amy. She looked nervous and exhausted as she took stock of the situation, but otherwise she seemed unharmed after last night's brawl.

This was his chance. He had to escape the Incredible Holt so he could talk to Amy, to warn her about his mother. He needed to let her know that he knew what Isabel had done and to apologize. He had to try to get her to listen to him, to let her know that he wanted to change, wanted to fix things. He _had_ to gain Amy's trust so she would agree to help them. And it had to be done now, before it was too late.

Ian weakly swung and kicked at Hamilton and tried to shout, "There they are!" but all that came out was mangled gurgling. Hamilton just closed his hand tighter around Ian's throat. The edges of his sight began to blur and darken. Just as everything went black Ian heard Natalie's voice yelling something. Suddenly he was dropped in an undignified heap on the floor, wheezing and gasping as air came rushing back into his lungs. More relief filled him. He was alive, and Amy was here. If he had been brought up in a less dignified manner, and if he could speak, he might have yelled, "Hurrah!"

Natalie squeaked in surprise when Ian collapsed at her feet, but quickly knelt to help him sit up. Hamilton bent way down so he could shove his face in theirs as he blasted one last warning.

"Tell your 'mummy'- she better not try to hurt Amy and Dan ever again. Or else."

Ian flinched, then warily looked up at Hamilton. Just for a second he wondered about Hamilton's ferocious protectiveness. He'd defended Amy on more than one occasion. Could the big brute have feelings for Amy? But then Ian saw him glance over at Sinead Starling and recognized the fleeting expression that crossed Hamilton's face. It was the same thing he felt when he looked at Amy: a confusing mix of longing, guilt, shame and a touch of fear. _That's interesting,_ Ian thought, _information that could be useful in the future. And it proves he doesn't like Amy as more than a friend._

"Do you…do you think Amy and Dan would help us try to figure out what to look for here?" Ian rasped weakly.

"Maybe – if you'd never tried to _kill_ them," Hamilton barked back.

Ian's shoulders sagged and he looked down, blinking away the sudden prickling in his eyes. Hamilton was right, the Cahills might have been willing to help them, had even done it once, but that was before everything. He and Natalie were trying to change things, but it appeared to be too little too late.

"Yeah, that's what I thought," he mumbled sadly. Hamilton gave him a long, puzzled look, then turned and moved away.

Ian managed to get up, but his head was spinning and he had to lean against the wall until the dizziness went away. In a moment he felt better and looked around for Amy. There she was, listening to Jonah with a perplexed look on her face. Well, that wasn't unusual. When was Jonah ever going to learn to speak proper English? Ian made his way between the pews to come up behind Amy. He raised his hand to touch her shoulder, but then dropped it again, suddenly unsure what exactly to say.

As he stood there, Ian heard Jonah say something ridiculous that sounded like,

"Yo, yo, yo. Word."

With a rather disgusted look on her face, Amy suddenly turned and charged right into him, causing Ian grabbed her shoulders to help steady them both. He almost moved to actually hug her, but stopped himself just in time. He couldn't keep himself from showing how glad he was to see her, though.

"Amy! I'm so glad to see that you didn't get hurt at the Globe yesterday!" he smiled down at her. Amy looked back up at him, and for the briefest moment he thought he saw a

flash of hope and longing in her eyes that matched his own, but then it was gone, replaced by steel-like fury and suspicion.

"Get out of my way," she barked at him. Ian's heart sank.

"No, please, just listen –" Ian heard himself begging. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed Nellie, Dan and Jonah staring incredulously at them. _I can't let _them_ hear this. If we could just be alone…_

"If you'd come with me, so we can talk privately -" he started.

"You mean, so you can lure me off to your evil mother? To some trap?" Amy interrupted, "How stupid do you think I am?" She jerked away and glared up at him.

_That's exactly what we need to talk about,_ Ian wanted to shout. _We need to make an alliance so we can _avoid_ her trap. And I don't think you're stupid at all._ But he couldn't. He just froze, staring at her in shock, his empty hands hanging at his sides uselessly. She did hate him. She wasn't going to listen. They would fail, everyone was doomed, and it was all his fault.

Natalie came to his rescue but he barely noticed. _Amy, please wait!_ Ian thought frantically as she brushed past him. His eyes followed her, hoping for a change of heart, a smile, one last glance at least, but there was nothing. He watched her hurry off toward the front of the church, Dan right behind her. He didn't even care that Dan stomped on his foot on purpose as he went past. All he could think of was Amy walking away from him, his chance slipping away. _I'm sorry…_

Natalie slipped next to him, touching his arm lightly. "Ian?" His head jerked down to her and he saw the concern in her eyes. "Let's go. The camera is in place. There's nothing more we can do right now, and She is coming," she whispered urgently.

"Yes, you're right. We'd better leave." He started to follow Natalie but took one last look back toward the Cahills. Amy was frowning down at Shakespeare's grave, her back to the rest of the church. She didn't notice at all as Ian sighed and turned to walk with his sister out of the church.

**The End**


	5. After the Music

**A/N: Thank you to everyone who reviewed, alerted and favorited this story. I'm so glad you like it. You are all terrific!**

**I started writing this one a very long time ago. This is one of a few one-shots and other things I started a while back and am planning to finish up this summer. There will be a couple more here in Thinking of Her, an unrelated one-shot, and I'm working on an Epilogue to my story It's Called Enjoying Yourself. Anyway, I hope you like this. Please review and let me know if you do, or even if you don't. Thanks!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own 39 Clues.**

**One False Note: After the Music**

Ian woke to the sound of stomping feet and angry voices. There was the acrid smell of smoke and explosive of some kind. He realized he was lying on something cold and hard, his body in an awkward position. He tried to turn his head, but when he did a sharp pain caused him to groan and stop moving. He instantly heard what sounded like several rather large semi-automatic weapons chambering their rounds. They sounded close, extremely close.

Ian painfully cracked his eyes open a slit, seeing only dark blur. He shut his eyes. One of the irritatingly loud voices barked something that sounded like an order in a vaguely familiar language. He tried opening his eyes again. This time he could see a little better. Sure enough, there were four extremely muscular guys surrounding him, pointing their unnecessarily large weapons at his face. He tried to turn his head again, and again the pain forced him to shut his eyes.

He needed to assess the situation. Where was he? What had caused his current situation? He couldn't remember. The language, it was…Italian. Yes. So he was in Italy somewhere. The smell meant there had definitely been an explosion. Had he set it himself, or had he been caught in someone else's trap? This was maddening. It would be easier to think if he wasn't in so much pain and didn't have angry muscle-men shouting at him in a foreign language.

Without warning Ian was jerked up by one of the armed men. He hissed as the pain shot through his head again, but then he realized he was able to see his surroundings and began to take stock of the situation. The dissipating wisps of smoke revealed what looked like the remains of a piano splattered about the room. _Piano…_

There was Natalie, crumpled in a heap next to him, apparently unconscious, more Italian gunmen bent over her. One pulled a small dart out of her shoulder. That dart was from Natalie's own gun. How had that happened? Natalie was deadly with her dart gun, and practically invincible. The guards started to pat her down roughly, checking for more weapons. Ian wanted to yell, "Get your filthy hands off my sister!" but he couldn't make his mouth work. The guards took her gun and a small china doll they'd found tucked inside her jacket.

The brutes surrounding Ian had started checking him too, confiscating his phone and his poison dart pen. Thankfully they didn't take his watch, with the secret communication device and homing beacon. If he had a chance he would activate it and help would be on its way.

As the guards continued their revoltingly invasive search of his person, Ian took the opportunity to observe and try to regain his memory. Ah, there was a sign across the room near what used to be the piano. He squinted, and made out a word that looked like "Mozart." So, the charred mess in the middle of the room had been Mozart's piano. _No, it was a harpsichord._ And then Ian's memories began to return: The Clue Hunt. He and Natalie had been following those annoying orphans, Amy and Daniel Cahill. They'd tossed them into the canals of Venice. Venice…Oh yes, that's where they were right now.

Those Cahills, they just kept coming back, like persistent, unwanted weeds in the Kabras' well-manicured gardens at home. They had followed them to Fidelio Racco's house and discovered Mozart's harpsichord. Ian had started to play KV 617, the clue from Benjamin Franklin. He'd played the priceless antique instrument with expertise, of course, noticing admiration in Amy's eyes as he'd played. And then…Ian frowned, trying to remember what had happened next, grimacing at the pain just frowning caused. _What happened next?_ Someone had yelled. Who? Amy, it had been Amy. She'd yelled as she flung herself at him. He didn't remember anything after that. He was used to having girls fling themselves at him, but Amy Cahill had never been that type of girl. She was more of the mousy, pretending-to-be-invisible type. She could barely speak in his presence – not that he wasn't used to that, also, but she was a severe case – and he'd certainly never heard her yell. Why, then, had she acted so out-of-character? Ian struggled to focus his fuzzy memory. Slowly it came to him.

Amy had yelled, "Don't!" and then shoved him just as something exploded. If Ian didn't know better, it almost seemed as though she had been trying to save him, but that couldn't be. Cahills don't save each other from explosions, they push each other into them. That must have been what had happened. The Cahill girl had been trying to explode him, a perfectly understandable action, considering the situation. Quite right of her to try, he mused approvingly, though of course she hadn't succeeded. A mere amateur peasant had no chance against Ian Kabra, heir to the Lucian dynasty.

The guards had picked up Natalie and were carrying her out of the room. They jammed their guns into Ian's back, forcing him to follow. As they made their way around the harpsichord wreckage Ian noticed a strange, square hole in the floor that looked like it could be some sort of secret chamber. He could tell it was empty. What had been in there? Had the Cahills found the next clue? Where had they gone? Ian had to do something to get Natalie and himself out of this mess right now so they could get back to tailing Amy and Daniel and find out what they'd discovered.

The guards pushed Ian into a small, dark office and forced him into a chair. Natalie was dumped in the one next to him. Ian took the opportunity to make his move.

"Excuse me, may I please have my phone in order to call my lawyer and begin the process of making remunerations*?" he asked, in his most authoritative business voice. Apparently the armed muscle-men had never taken the time to learn English. They ignored him. He tried again, using the most important Italian words he could remember.

"Mi scusi. Telephono, per favore? Avvocato. Un sacco di soldi per voi."** He was given his phone.

"Hello, Byron. It's me. We have a bit of a situation…"

**The End**

*Remunerations means to pay money back for a large expense, like destroying a priceless antique harpsichord. I figure Ian talks like that when he wants to impress or intimidate someone.

**"Excuse me. Telephone, please? Lawyer. A lot of money for you."


	6. Detour

**A/N: Thank you to everyone for reading, reviewing and favoriting this story. As I was writing the epilogue for Its Called Enjoying Yourself I couldn't help but wonder what Ian was thinking after the cave collapse and once they got to Kyrgyzstan. This is based mostly on Mission 4, especially inspired by that little heart doodle on the pad in the Kabras' hotel room, with a little of The Sword Thief and Beyond the Grave. I had fun writing this. I hope you enjoy it. Please let me know what you think.**

**Detour**

"Ian, you need to see this." Natalie's shrill voice pierced Ian's distracted thoughts. He ignored her as he had already done at least a hundred times today. For the last two days Ian had done nothing but sit and stare out the window at the disgusting, brown, barren land surrounding their "hotel" here in Bishkek, Kyrgzystan. From the moment he and his sister had learned they'd been tricked by their cousins into looking for the non-existent "Lake Tash", Ian had been unable to do anything but think about Amy Cahill. He thought about Amy twirling on the grass outside Alestair Oh's home in South Korea, Amy enjoying Alistair's dusty little secret library, Amy's shocked stare just after their brief, almost-kiss outside the cave, Amy smiling at him in the dark of the cave, Amy crying when he closed the cave, Amy being crushed by tons of cave rock collapsing on her.

"Ian, this is important. You _have_ to see this. IAN! Stop moping and get your lazy bum over here." There was no response from the lifeless sod at the other end of the suite. Natalie sighed and shook her head. Her pathetic, love-sick brother was being impossible. It wasn't bad enough that they were trapped here in room 203 of the Amur Viper Hotel, of all places, waiting for transportation, or that their vile relatives had _tricked_ them into coming here instead of following a real lead. _How dare they think they could fool Kabras!_ _Its a good thing they're dead, or they'd never get away with it! _No, on top of all that, Ian was completely useless because he was mooning over the Cahill girl, Amy, their destitute, wardrobe-deficient _enemy_.

Natalie rolled her eyes and wrinkled her nose in disgust. How could her suave, normally intelligent, devastatingly handsome and _rich_ brother possibly be attracted to someone so horrifyingly _beneath _him? It was a disgrace to the Kabra name. Ian thought he was keeping it a secret, but Natalie could read past his carefully controlled blank expression to the weak, romantic emotion hidden beneath. Besides that, Ian talked in his sleep, and he'd been having nightmares since South Korea. She'd even found a doodle he'd drawn on the note pad by the phone. It was a heart that said, "Ian loves Amy". Embarrassed for her brother and angry at his betrayal, she had viciously crossed the heart out and destroyed the paper. Her only consolation was that Amy and Daniel Cahill were out of the picture for good now, and soon enough Ian would get over this pathetic, ridiculous, distracting infatuation and get back to clue hunting with her. At least, she had thought they were out of the picture. _Until now…_

"Ian, it's about Amy Cahill," she singsonged. This time he responded immediately. His head shot up and he drilled her with the famous Kabra interrogation glare they'd both been instilled with as children.

"What? What about Amy?" he barked. It figured. The first coherent speech from him in _days_ and it was about that annoying, fashion-challenged peasant.

"Oh, I just thought you'd like to know that those filthy orphans may not be quite as dead as we thought."

"That's not possible. They were crushed in that cave-in," he replied flatly. He tried to sound casual and disinterested, even though he really just wanted to shove Natalie out of her chair and see what was on her screen. Instead he dignified himself by pretending to be indifferent.

"While you've been moping about, I got tired of dealing with the worst room service I have ever experienced. Did you even notice they served grape jelly with our breakfast instead of homemade preserves. Outrageous! I insisted on a completely new breakfast. You didn't even touch your food, I noticed. Anyway, instead of just sitting here and doing nothing, like _some_ people, I've been monitoring the movements of the other clue hunters. Jonah is in Egypt, of all places, and I don't know why. Who would want to go to Egypt? That hot sun withers people into prunes, and all that sand getting everywhere, into clothes, shoes, purses…" She shuddered delicately.

"Natalie, do you have a point?"

"Well, if you're going to be rude about it, I won't tell you what I found." Ian forced himself not to react and just stared out the window like he didn't care.

"Fine, I'll tell you," Natalie huffed. "I noticed some strange activity at the Ekat stronghold in Cairo, the Hotel Excelsior. Look at this surveillance footage. Here, going into the Executive Suite. See, three people carrying backpacks and duffel bags, not designer luggage. Anyone who stays in an executive suite would never been seen carrying such horrid bags. And…there, that looks like a cat carrier."

"Where? Let me see." Ian jumped up from the saggy couch and rushed towards the table, where Natalie had set up their laptop. Midway across the room he noticed his sister's suspicious smirk and slowed his pace to a careless saunter. He wouldn't get too excited. The Cahills couldn't really be alive, could they? How would they have managed to escape the cave collapse?

"So? Everyone has cats in Egypt. What would make you think that's them?"

"Normally, nothing, really, but Irina is also there in Egypt. I hacked her e-mail account, and she reported following Amy and Daniel into a tomb of some kind."

"She actually _saw_ them? They're alive?" Ian almost succeeded in keeping the excitement out of his voice, but not quite. He tried harder, "That's…surprising. Why didn't you mention Irina's report to begin with?" He shoved Natalie out of the chair and sat down, squinting intently at the picture on the screen. There was a flash of long, auburn hair, someone who looked like a skunk, and a boy eating something. Yes, it could be them…

"It was more fun this way," Natalie commented casually, inspecting her fingernails as she spoke. _Really, Ian? Do you really think I can't tell what's on your mind?_ What had happened to the cool, driven intellectual Ian had been his whole life? It was like all his undercover agent training had never happened. Honestly, couldn't he even manage to _pretend _not to care for the girl?

"Where are they now?" Ian snapped, "We've got to hurry and get there. What's taking our transportation so long? Inexcusable, low-class hotel without an air strip. I should report them to the International Business Agency…Where is my phone? Not that it matters, there isn't good reception here anyway…" Ian was suddenly a flurry of activity, running about the room and throwing things in bags. It was a striking contrast to his recent sloth-like inactivity.

"Ian. IAN! What are you doing?"

"I'm making arrangements. We've got to get to Egypt. I have to see – I mean, we have to figure out their lead before they find the next clue."

"Already done. Here's our flight info. You're welcome." She smugly held out the pad, covered with the travel information. Ian noticed Natalie's unicorn doodle decorating the page and smirked at her childishness. The he remembered the little heart he'd drawn on the same pad in a moment of longing and the smirk disappeared. Where had that paper gone? Had Natalie seen it? If she had, that could complicate things. Natalie would have blackmail material on him. He hardly cared, though. Amy was alive and he was going to see her again in…how many hours? Too long.

As Ian turned restlessly to pace back across the room, there was a knock at the door. The footman announced that there was an urgent phone call at the front desk for "Master and Madame Kabra." They grabbed their bags and hurried down to the lobby. It was one of their parents' agents on the line, instructing them on a new lead. They were to go to Budapest, Hungary to look at some old crown. _Why Budapest?_ Ian thought in frustration. He needed to get to Egypt. But orders were orders, and a lead was a lead. They must go to Hungary now, and hopefully catch up with the Cahills later. Resigned, he hurriedly checked them out of the hotel and they went to meet the limo that had just pulled up outside. Frowning with frustration, Ian grumbled under his breath, "This lead had better be worth it."

The Kabra siblings settled into the limo and Ian took out his phone to begin research on the crown of St. Steven.

"Well, it's about time," Natalie commented. She was right. Their detour to Kyrgystan had cost them time they couldn't afford and he'd wasted every minute of it uselessly daydreaming about nothing. He'd lost himself for a while, but now it was time to get his mind back on business, back to the Clue Hunt. He smirked evilly up at Natalie.

"You're right, sister. Let's get caught up." He turned to his phone to continue researching. Ian Kabra was back in the game.

**The End**


End file.
